BBC television's Newsnight is normally a heavyweight political programme but it has had a little fun at David Cameron's expense by ending on Friday night's edition with some energetic Bollywood dancing by a bunch of bouncy young women.
This was because the Prime Minister had given an interview earlier in the day, defending his government's decision to get rid of the two hours a week of compulsory sports that all schoolchildren are supposed to have.
"I see it with my own children... because you know, the two hours that is laid down is often met through sort of Indian dancing classes," he said dismissively. "Now, I've got nothing against Indian dancing classes but that's not really sport."
Most of the media picked up Cameron's disparaging remarks but the real story did not emerge till later.
At 4pm, an editor on Newsnight contacted Nileeka Gunawardene, artistic director of Bollywood Dance London, and asked about her troupe's availability: "It's a long shot but are you guys available to come in?"
Newsnight is normally fronted by the nation's inquisitor-in-chief Jeremy Paxman but last night's edition was presented by Stephanie Flanders, the BBC's economics correspondent, who reminded viewers: "In an interview this morning about getting rid of the target of two hours of sports for schools, the Prime Minister said the two hours that is laid down is often met through sort of Indian dancing classes. 'Now, I have nothing against Indian dancing classes,' he said, 'but that's not really sport.' So we thought we would end with something to cheer him up ' a highly athletic Indian dance troupe: Bollywood Dance London. They have taught in schools all round the south-east, including, it seems, Eton College."
The Prime Minister appears unwittingly to have given Bollywood dancing a big boost. "We did get huge publicity last night," a delighted Nileeka told me today.
She was one of the dancers, who also included a black woman and a white person of Polish origin, to demonstrate Bollywood dancing now has a multi-ethnic following.
If these women are anything to go by, dancing certainly keeps them fit. "There's a 50-50 split between Indians and non-Indians. It is a great way for people to understand what Indian culture and heritage is about. The way we teach Bollywood dance is extremely expressive. There isn't a single part of the body that doesn't get a workout."
Cameron may be fighting a losing battle considering Bollywood dancing has made friends in some unexpected places.
"We get calls from many, many schools ' if they have a project on India or they want to educate their students on Indian culture, Bollywood dance is one of the first things they use," explained Nileeka.
One such call came from Cameron's old school.
"Eton College did a workshop that I conducted," revealed Nileeka.
What with youthful hormones raging around, "the boys really, really enjoyed it. They really embraced it. They called me back two months later. They wanted to perform what I had taught them in their end of term show. At the end of a classical concert, they had a Bollywood dance."
Some parents might have thought this was the end of civilisation. "Some parents were shocked, it was fantastic, it surprised everyone," recalled Nileeka.
Cameron's contemporary at Eton, Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, wants two hours of sports per day for schoolchildren, just the way it was for him at school.
The way things are going, the Eton timetable may end up with two hours of Bollywood dancing a day.
This is not entirely fanciful. I once sat in on a history lesson at Eton, with the teacher giving a very pro-Indian slant to India during the Raj by making the boys watch a video of Lagaan.
Poet's lane
The poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy ' the first woman, the first Scot, and the first openly gay person to hold the position ' has made strong political demands in verse marking the Olympics.
"We are Mo Farah lifting the 10,000 metres gold./ We want new running-tracks in his name," she wrote.
And then, "Rutherford, Ohuruogu, Whitlock, Tweddle,/for every medal earned,/we want school playing fields returned."
She continued, "..... Clancy, Burke, Kennaugh and Geraint Thomas,/Olympian names./ We want more cycle lanes."
It is less certain if Duffy also wrote: "A familiar desi tale of woe at Lord's/Hamstring, bowstring, it was all the same."
Road to Rio
The medals table is like wealth distribution ' in India, the UK, US, anywhere. A few hog nearly everything, leaving scraps for the rest and making them feel really humiliated. But maybe that is the whole idea of the Olympics.
However, Indians should use the valuable experience of London 2012 to prepare not only for Rio in 2016 but, more urgently, for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014.
The success of Glasgow is assured if it can do something that Delhi couldn't ' persuade Usain Bolt to come.
Glasgow 2014 chief executive David Grevemberg admitted: "I'd love him to be in Glasgow ' he's a self-proclaimed legend and his performances at the Olympics have been unbelievable. Bolt is a powerful figure and there's absolutely no question kids in Scotland would be inspired by his presence."
As London 2012 ends tomorrow, possibly with an appearance by the Spice Girls, it is important for Indians to retain a sense of perspective and not rubbish their athletes.
The British are especially supportive with competitors who miss out on medals. With intensive training and preparation, some of the Indian near misses this time can be the seeds of future success.
Even in India's 2-3 hockey defeat by South Africa today, the Indian stick work carried flashes of the old brilliance.